1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video games. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technique for pseudo-implementing functions of a network game, which progress a game when a player immediately obtains support from another player, without maintaining a continuous connection between a game apparatus and a server apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A role playing game is one in which a player progresses the game by solving problems using various game items while moving a player character in a virtual space. In a role playing game, the number of methods for solving the problems during the progress of the game increases when the player uses a game item. Accordingly, the player, who performs the role playing game, has an interest in the presence or absence of the game item.
In recent years, a network game in which multiple game apparatuses are connected to a server apparatus to progress the game in cooperation with multiple players has been popular. The role playing game that is performed via the network can progress the game in cooperation with multiple players. For example, the multiple players can exchange their game items among one another. A certain player can support another player fighting in a battle.
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-104648 discloses a network game in which mail is transmitted to a terminal apparatus, which is different from a game apparatus that a player operates to execute the game, thereby to send the player's instruction in the progress of the game. In addition to this network game, there is a game using mail, which is called play-by-mail. In the play-by-mail game, mail is regularly transmitted from the server apparatus to send instructions to the player. The player progresses the game based on the instructions by mail. In a game, which is called play-by-Web, instructions that are regularly sent to the player by mail based on the play-by-mail are offered on the web site.
However, in the network game, each game apparatus is always connected to the server apparatus. The server apparatus must manage the respective game apparatuses that join in the game and connect to the server apparatus. This causes a problem in which a large load is applied to both the server apparatus and the network in order to execute the network game. When the game apparatus is connected to the server apparatus via a network that charges based on an amount of information to be received and transmitted or connection time, there is a problem in which a network fee to be paid by the user of the game apparatus is too high.
The games, which are called play-by-mail and play-by-Web, are asynchronous update games. These games progress rather slowly. Accordingly, in these games, it is impossible to obtain such an immediate cooperation among the players that is realized in the network game, i.e., a case in which the player obtains support from another player as required based on the progress of the game. When a cellular phone is used as a mail terminal, the player as a receiver side can immediately receive mail sent by a transmitting side. However, the games, which are called play-by-mail and play-by-Web, do not make the best use of the immediacy of receiving and transmitting mail. Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-104686 does not require immediacy of the game by transmitting mail.